Jennifer Ward - Its a Jungle Out There!: 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids

We have found the perfect guide for urban families. Jennifer Ward offers a wonderful array of games, explorations, and adventures for kids usually boxed in by skyscrapers.

New York Family

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just because you live in the city doesnt mean you cant enjoy nature. This compact guide offers 52 nature-focused explorations, adventures, observations, and games that can help you and your child connect to nature while living in the city. While it may be hard to see nature through the traffic, buildings, and busyness of the city, there is still much of the natural world to explore when you turn your gaze to the cracks in the sidewalk, the trees on the street, or the green spaces that your city offers. Become an urban birder, make your own man vs. wild observations, and discover the not-so-hidden pockets of nature in your neighborhood. For children ages 4 to 8.

JENNIFER WARD is the author of I Love Dirt!, Lets Go Outside!, and numerous childrens books, all of which present nature to kids. Her award-winning titles have been featured in magazines such as Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, Learning, and Foreword, and she has been interviewed and featured on national television and local radio. She is a regular speaker at conferences and schools across the country, where she instills the importance of literacy and the wonders waiting to be discovered in the natural world. Learn more about her at jenniferwardbooks.com.

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PUBLISHERS NOTE: All participants in the activities in this book must assume responsibility for their own action and safety. Although this is a guide-book, the recommendations in the activities in this book cannot replace common sense and sound judgment. The activities in this book are intended to be performed under adult supervision. The author and publisher disclaim liability for any injury that may occur from engaging in activities in this book.

ROOST BOOKS

An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.

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Boston, Massachusetts 02115

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2011 by Jennifer Ward

Illustrations 2011 by Susie Ghahremani

Cover art by Susie Ghahremani

Cover design by Jim Zaccaria

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ward, Jennifer, 1963

Its a jungle out there!: 52 nature adventures for city kids / Jennifer Ward; illustrations by Susie Ghahremani.1st ed.

p. cm.

eISBN 978-0-8348-2744-8

ISBN 978-1-59030-908-7 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Outdoor recreation for children. 2. Children and the environment. 3. Nature studyActivity programs. I. Ghahremani, Susie. II. Title.

GV191.63.W36 2011

796.083dc22

2010046676

Contents

With thanks to:

My agent, Stefanie Von Borstel.

The dynamic team at Shambhala Publications, especially my editor, Jennifer Urban-Brown, for her continued vision, support, and enthusiasm.

My scientist sister, Debbie, whose knowledge and sense of whimsy helped inspire many activities in this book; I treasure playing outdoors with you.

My daughter, Kelly, who has the biggest heart for all living things in this world; its a gift to experience life through your eyes.

Charlie Fowler, my best friend and overall rock, who also rocks.

And my parents, Paul and Charlene Sultan, for warming my chilly sleeping bag with campfire-heated stones, for showing me how to pan for gold in any old creek, and for making nature integral to our family life from day one.

From the moment they are born, children are naturally curious. It brings us such joy to watch them as they use their senses to figure out the world around them. A bubble on the tip of a finger, the texture of sand trickling through fingers, a blade of damp grass stuck to a toe, an ant crawling across a sidewalkthese are the simple things that intrigue a child and offer moments of intense concentration. As adults, we may deem these experiences basic. Yet to a child, they provide an opportunity for inquiry, where the mind can focus and practice being curious. This inquiry and curiosity are the stepping-stones children use as part of their cognitive development to help them learn, develop, and grow. It facilitates their consciousness. As their caretakers, were fortunate that one of the most enriching and rewarding environments we can provide for their learning and development is not only easy to access, but free for the taking: nature.

Studies have proven that time spent in nature engages a childs mind with a sense of wonder, imagination, serenity, cognitive stimulation, inner peace, and overall well-being; it provides a wealth of benefits for the mind, body, and spirit, regardless of age. The more contact with nature, the better the benefit for us all. Simple fact.

I spent most of my life living in a natural setting among many wild animals. My backyard was a certified wildlife habitat that attracted coyotes, rattlesnakes, quail, rabbits, javelina, and myriad desert animals that were feathered, furry, and scaled. I didnt take their existence in my space for granted and enjoyed evidence of their presence through sounds, sightings, and visual evidence such as tracks. Then I moved to a city. At first, I felt starved for the wilderness that was my home in the desert. But over time, Ive transitioned to become attuned to the nature and wildlife that is my new home. Nature is resilient and exists everywhere, even among the most concrete of spaces.

Im not alone in my move to a city. According to the 2000 U.S. census, 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas. The United Nations reported that, in 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the worlds population was living in towns and cities; by 2030, this number is expected to swell to almost 5 billion people.

So how do you strengthen your childs connection to nature in an age when most of us live in the hearts of cities? Aside from the vacation getaway to pure wilderness, its important that we provide our children with access to nature in a manner thats integral to their daily lives, near their homes and schools. Rich experiences in nature need not encompass only seemingly infinite wild landscapes, far away from the hustle and bustle of foot and wheel traffic. On the contrary, nature is as nearby as a crack in the sidewalk and a tree on the street, and rewarding experiences in nature can take place in everyday places and spaces. This book will show you how simple it can be to provide your child with the benefits of nature right outside your door. Nature is all around us. And the term urban nature is not an oxymoron. Your city was planted in a spot that was once 100 percent nature, and wild pockets of it still existyours for the discovering and the enjoying.

Its a Jungle Out There! offers simple and unique activities to introduce your children to nature in spaces that might seem unnatural at a first glance. But looks can be deceiving. These fifty-two open-ended activities provide a wealth of creative ways to help your children connect to concepts and experiences rich in natureand in your neighborhoodin simple, rewarding, and sensory ways. From exploring the lives of snails to seeking out birds nests in city pockets to potting a colorful container garden to having sizzling sidewalk fun, with this book in tow, you and your child will be encouraged to explore, discover, imagine, play in, and wonder about the spaces around you with new eyes, a fresh perspective, and nature in mind.